A Review of the Effect of Estrogen on Immune Efficacy in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) with Comparisons to Human and Murine Homologs

Abstract

A review was conducted on current research surrounding the effect of estrogen, and the estrogen receptor, on immune development. Estrogen can regulate many processes and genes throughout immune development, from modulating complement activation and regulating genes crucial for hematopoiesis, to elevating toll-like receptor gene expression. Estrogen has also been shown to have a pronounced effect on regulating certain cancers through inducing macrophage infiltration. It has also been demonstrated to play an important role in the regulation of microRNAs that are important for proper immune development. A greater understanding of this hormone’s effect gained through the zebrafish model can lead to the development of better practices to improve both human and ecological health. Contemporary reviews typically examine the effect of estrogen-like compounds (oftentimes referred to as estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds) on a sequestered part of immune system development. A distinct lack of cohesion exists in combining contemporary and past reports of the effects of estrogen on various aspects of immune system development in zebrafish. This review serves to fill that gap in knowledge, and to provide a gateway for other researchers interested in this topic. KEYWORDS: Zebrafish; Immune development; Zebrafish immunology; Estrogen; Estrogen receptor; Autoimmunity; Altered signaling; Hematopoiesis